26/07/2023, 14:31 Glossary:Innovation - Statistics Explained

Glossary:Innovation

Innovation is the use of new ideas, products or methods where

they have not been used before.

For the Community Innovation Survey (CIS), an innovation is

defined as a new or significantly improved product (good or

service) introduced to the market, or the introduction within an

enterprise of a new or significantly improved process.

Innovations are based on the results of new technological

developments, new technology combinations, or the use of other

knowledge, acquired by the enterprise. The innovations may be

developed by the innovating enterprise or by another enterprise.

However, purely selling innovations wholly produced and

developed by other enterprises is not included as an innovation

activity, nor is introducing products with purely aesthetic changes.

Innovations should be new to the enterprise concerned: for

product innovations, they do not necessarily have to be new to

the market and, for process innovations, the enterprise does not

necessarily have to be the first one to have introduced the

process.

Enterprises carrying out innovation activities cover all types of

innovators including product and process innovators, as well as

those enterprises with only ongoing and/or abandoned

innovation activities. The proportion of enterprises undertaking

innovation activities is also called the propensity (tendency) to

innovate.

A product innovation is the market introduction of a new or a

significantly improved good or service.

A process innovation is the implementation of a new or

significantly improved production process, distribution method or

support activity for goods or services.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Innovation 1/2
26/07/2023, 14:31 Glossary:Innovation - Statistics Explained

Further information
Innovation (CODED - Eurostat's Concepts and Definitions

Database)

Related concepts
Community Innovation Survey (CIS)

Invention

Statistical data
SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Categories: Glossary Science and technology glossary

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Innovation 2/2